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Clarksburg Telegram
April 7, 1960

West Virginia Becomes 4-Week Battleground In National Scramble

Kennedy's Brother Makes Local Visit; Humphrey To Start This Weekend

The hard-fought race for the Democratic presidential nomination has shifted political attention to West Virginia the next four weeks with Sen. Jack Kennedy (D-Mass) and Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey (D-Minn) both entered in the state's primary.

Bob Kennedy, youthful brother of Sen. Kennedy was in Clarksburg last night mapping strategy in his brother's behalf for the approaching acid test of the popularity of the two at the polls on May 10.

Bob Kennedy said here last night of the results of the Wisconsin primary:

"I think it was my brother's greatest political victory of his career - to conquer Wisconsin which borders the state of Minnesota, Humphrey's home state."

The brother of Sen. Kennedy disclosed that the presidential hopeful plans to spend considerable time in West Virginia between now and May 10.

Humphrey, however, is expected to arrive in West Virginia ahead of Sen. Kennedy. Humphrey is scheduled to campaign by bus starting early Friday or Saturday. Kennedy is not expected in the state before Monday.

Meeting Kennedy's advance guard here last night was Victor Gabriel, local Democrat party leader, and Ben B. Stout, chairman of the Harrison County Democrat Executive Committee.

Sen. Humphrey believes he can take the measure of Sen. Kennedy in West Virginia.

Fresh from Tuesday's balloting in Wisconsin, where he lost to Kennedy by 106,867 popular votes and took the short end of a 20 1/2 - 10 1/2 split in convention delegates, Humphrey is bouncily confident there is a turn in the road ahead.

It will come, in his view, in almost solidly Protestant West Virginia, where Kenney's Catholicism will be at least an undertow issue and where there will be no crossing of party lines.

"This is a primary where Democrats will be voting for Democrats," Humphrey said in an interview. "There won't be any Republicans voting for Sen. Kennedy as they did in Wisconsin. I think more than 100,000 Republicans voted the Democratic ticket there and Sen. Kennedy surely benefited from the crossover."

Asked if he can finance an all-out drive after his estimate that Wisconsin ate up around $100,000 in funds raised for him, Humphrey said: "My cupboard is bare, my treasury is in the red and the only thing running good will be Hubert Humphrey himself. But I like my chances."

William L. Jacobs, Parkersburg attorney, who has been named by Humphrey as his campaign director for the northern part of the state, said Humphrey will open a headquarters at one of the Clarksburg hotels.